Lion Kings

cecil-the-lionEven though it paled in comparison to the 897 million searches in November that focused on the terrorist’s attacks in Paris, I still find it interesting that the top story in July was the story of Cecil the lion and the 32 million searches for information regarding the death of this King of the jungle.  While some people saw the circumstances of Cecil’s death as being tragic, the death of another lion has been triumphant.

In the book of the Revelation, Jesus is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  His death on the cross was not a defeat; it was a triumphant victory, and people began to understand the significance of His death and the magnitude of His power when Jesus rose from the grave. lionj

As you move forward into the new year, I encourage you to:

  • Join ranks with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and wave His banner high.
  • Keep your life in perspective by measuring the temporary with the eternal (Romans 8:18, 28).
  • Claim the promise that God gives you victory through Jesus (I Corinthians 15:7).
  • Find strength or you journey by walking in step with Jesus (Matthew 11:28).

I encourage you to join me in making at least this one resolution for 2016:  I will be a disciple who glorifies the Father by abiding in Christ (John 15:7-11).

Raw Emotion

Reading-facial-expressions_articleDo you remember the last time you did it?  Something happened and you let your guard down and the true you showed:  Your emotions were on display for everyone to see.

Immediately following His Passover entry into Jerusalem the emotions of Jesus were easily seen :  “When Jesus came closer and saw the city, He began to cry, and He said, If you had only known today what would bring you peace! But you cannot see it (Luke 19).”

In a moment, Jesus went from the joys of the palm branches to the tragic reality of what the future held.  In this incident, it’s easy to see His love in:

  • His walk of grace as He came near to the city
  • His eyes of love in the way He beheld the people
  • His heart of compassion as He wept due to the spiritual blindness of the people

Is it a comfort to you to know that the love, grace, and compassion of God is yours to claim?  It’s available to you because of who Jesus is and what He did.  Notice how this is explained in The Message:

Seeing that we have a great High Priest who has entered the inmost Heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to our faith. For we have no superhuman High Priest to whom our weaknesses are unintelligible—he himself has shared fully in all our experience of temptation, except that he never sinned. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need.      ~Hebrews 4:14-16